"Burhan Ghalioun said he did not wish to be a divisive figure and was ready to step down, just days after he was re-elected to a third, three-month term as head of the Syrian National Council.

"'I announce my resignation as soon as a new candidate is picked, either by consensus or new elections,' he said in a statement. 'I will continue to work to serve the revolution from my position as a member of the council.'"

The BBC reports that the Local Coordination Council, which has been coordinating protests throughout the country, was one of the groups that threatened to walk when Ghalioun's new term was announced.

The BBC reports:

"The LCC said the council was moving away from the 'spirit and demands of the Syrian Revolution' and accused Mr Ghalioun of 'political and organisational failure'.

"'In recent months, we have witnessed apparent political deficits in the Syrian National Council and a lack of consensus between the council and the revolutionary movement,' it said."

The uprising in Syria is more than a year old and has killed more than 9,000 people, according to the U.N. Multiple attempts by the international community to reach a cease fire have proved fruitless. The latest one, brokered by international envoy Kofi Annan is also on the ropes.

Reuters reports that amid the political maneuvering, the violence in the country continues. They quote the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which says 40 people were killed during fighting on Wednesday.